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Elul 5

Judgment

“You sift my path and my lying down …”(Ps 139:3 ISR)

The Hebrew word that has been translated as ‘sift’ in our opening verse is the word zârâh (Strong’s H2219), and is an agricultural term involving fanning, threshing, and winnowing grain. However, there is a more ominous meaning to zârâh, meaning to scatter, disperse, or cast away, all indicative of judgment (see Lev 26:33).  As it applies to this verse, I would suggest that our paths have been judged, found to be out of balance, and therefore scattered.

The same is true of ‘lying down’.  The Hebrew word that is used here is not the same word as is translated as ‘lying down in sleep’ (shâkab, Strong’s H7901, see Gen 28:11; Ps 3:5; Pro 3:24).  It is the word reba‛ (Strong’s H7252), and here in Psalm 139 is the only place it is used in the Scriptures.  Yes, it does mean to lie down stretched out; however, it is derived from another Hebrew word (râba, Strong’s H7250), which has strong sexual connotations to it, including bestiality.  In other words, this would not be an acceptable ‘lying down’.  The scales have been weighed and our ‘lying down’ has been found out of balance.  Hence, the judgment.

How does this apply to our lives?  Please, folks, remember what season we are in, the season ofteshuvah, and let us be diligent to look long and hard at our own lives.  Can we ask ourselves – in all honesty – if the path we are on has been littered with stumbling blocks, trials and troubles of every kind?  Is it possible that when the scales were applied to the path we chose, we found ourselves in judgment for a wrong choice?  And what of our lying down:  have we been lazy and laying down on the ‘job’ our Creator has called us to do?  Or perhaps we have found ourselves stretched out someplace where we had no business being?

Abba, Father, I repent of my wrongdoing, of taking a path that has led me to Your judgment. Forgive me for laying down and lingering in places not of Your choosing, and help me to turn around to where I am again facing You.  In the Name of Yeshua, and all that He represents … Amein.

“TEQĚL – You have been weighed on the scales, and found lacking.” (Dan 5:27 ISR)

“Because the time has come that judgment must begin with the house of YAHWEH; and if it first begins with us, what will be the end of the ones disobeying the good news of Elohim? (1Pet 4:17 HRB)

“A false scale is an abomination to יהוה, But a perfect weight is His delight.” (Pro 11:1 ISR)

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